- LET'S LEARN! -

Wahoooooooooo, it's BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON!  I've always been a momma that loves having everyone home all summer and spending time with her babies, and I did love that [for most of] June and July...

 

...but the first couple weeks of August were consumed with bickering and sassing and attitud-ing between the big girls, and finally one day Juliette and I had the genius idea to retreat to the pantry and make a secret paper chain countdown for their first day of school!  Rawr!

 

In between tearing links off the secret chain ;) :), we found time to go back-to-school shoe shopping...

 

...and supply shopping...  

...and even did all the supply labeling, too!  Sigh!  ...Just when I think they've officially driven me halfway up the wall and one more eye roll or sassy comment may literally commit me to sign them up for full time daycare next summer, I walk up on Scarlett making a set of kindergarten sight word flashcards and writing her name all by herself on her folders and notebooks, and my momma heart just can't take it!  ALL.THE.FEELS.  The days are long, but the years are short... Time is a thief, and moments like these are a real reset in reminding me to [try my VERY BEST to] enjoy all the ages/stages of the time I have these babies under our roof!!!

 

 

 

Then! Thankfully! I got my sappy-mom-self under control just in time for the drumrollllllll...

...Blessing of the Backpacks, school supply drop off, and Meet the Teacher Night!  Scarlett is soooo so excited to be in Mrs. Wilson's class; she can't wait to start kindergarten at "the big school" alongside lots of the same friends from preschool... 

...and Harper is movin' on up in the ranks as a big 3rd grader and looks forward to having Mrs. Litterst as her teacher!

I have to say -- and this seems like as good a time as ever to say it -- I was on the Pre-Cana marriage prep team with Mrs. Litterst severalllll years back; I think Harper was about 2 years old at the time, so it was long before we had decided on sending our kids to Catholic school.  Most of the other marriage prep team couples already had school-aged kiddos, and I remember just putting my feelers out there and asking them why they chose STB school over public school.  Mrs. Litterst spoke up first and said, "We aren't with our kids 24/7 anymore once they go off to school, but the best thing about the STB school staff is that they cherish and love the kids so well, and I know if ANYTHING ever happened to my kids in my absence, the teachers and staff would care for them the exact same way I would.  And that level of trust and confidence, knowing the teachers love my kids and look out for them the same way I do, it means everything." 

...Gosh, I'll never ever forget her saying that ...and it almost makes me teary-eyed typing it and knowing that she is 1000% right and my kids are cherished and loved soooo well at STB!  What a blessing for our family to have baby Bluejays under the fanned out wings of Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Litterst this year!  You both will be very beloved "extensions" of our family this year as we hear stories about school happenings at the dinner table every night! Always know of our support and prayers for you!!! ...Just LMK how you like those eye rolls and sassy comments from my cherub children!!! ;) :)

Ok, back on topic..! It's one. more. sleep. before......

 

...THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 3rd grade and kindergarten, here they comeeee! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned around to ask Brian something after we snapped this pic with the Bluejay, and when I looked back, Harper and Scarlett were already headed inside!  Cheers to a great year for our strong-willed gals! FLY, LITTLE BLUEJAYS!!! <3

As it turns out, Juliette is loving her 1:1 time with Mommy [AND IT'S NO SECRET, I'M LOVING IT TOO!]!  Our days are filled with playing, crafting, snuggling, and doing alllll the age-appropriate things we don't get to do when the big girls are at home!  Back to school.......ahhhhh. I know for this year, August is a win-win-win-WINNING situation for all! 

The school year's theme is "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace," and we have a goal to implement that in our home as well!  Blessings and love to all school kiddos and families for a great year ahead! LET'S LEARN! :D

- Muffins with Moms -

Muffins with Moms [for the second year in a row!] was nothing short of time well spent with the sweetest little preschooler in the whole entire world!  After sharing muffins and milk, we got to paint a birdhouse together...then hear a very special song the kiddos prepared for us...

...and then go outside for a release of the butterflies that the class has been raising this spring!

It was so great to spend a little quality time with Scarlett and see her totally thriving in the classroom environment and with all of her adorable little preschool friends!  Nothing beats seeing your children happy; I'm a lucky momma! <3
 

- Muffins with Munchkins -

Muffins [and coffee] and time with my middle munchkin?! 

YES, PLEASE!

Scarlett's teachers hosted a Muffins with Munchkins event at the Pre-K this past week, and I was honored to be able to attend!  She was so excited to show me around her classroom and point out all the things she plays with at school and all the craft/arts projects she's made, though I believe she was MOST excited to make me a cup of coffee in her teachers' Keurig and mix "just the right amount" of creamer in! :)  After finishing muffins and coffee, we made a flower craft together.   

As 1:1 time can be hard to come by with the middle child, it goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the morning! I absolutely loved seeing Scarlett in her element and interacting with all of her friends; it was also nice to put a name to a face of kiddos that we've been hearing stories about since the first day of school. Grateful more than ever that our children are blessed with wonderful teachers, great friends, and an amazing school!  Thank you, again, so much to the teachers for hosting such a memorable morning!  This momma's heart is full. <3

- Postpartum Paradise -

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's onnnnn to postpartum we go!  

[You can find Juliette's Birth Story PART I and PART II here first!]

After Juliette's labor and delivery events went by in the blink of an eye [like literally a blink; it was wayyyy way way too fast!  Am I the only person in the history of humankind that wishes my labor would've lingered on a little longer?! PROBABLY.], my 2-hour recovery was over and it was time for Lori to load us up and wheel us over to postpartum!  With COVID-19 still surging, the visitor policy at the hospital remained just as strict as it was back in March 2020!  I was allowed to have one support person with me at all times [AKA Brian] and then a second visitor that may switch in and out between 7am-7pm.  Absolutely no kids under age 16 were allowed inside the hospital -- including BRAND NEW [very healthy] SIBLINGS -- which is the worst rule in the history of bad rules and of course totally broke my heart!  From the moment I found out I was pregnant in January, I hoped and prayed that the policy would loosen before I delivered...but nope, nope, nope.  I saw some TikTok video a few months back of a dad wheeling a brand new big sister inside the hospital in a zipped-up suitcase to meet their new baby, and I'd be lying if I didn't try to play through making that work for us, too!  Some of Harper's favorite memories of Baby Scarlett are meeting her moments after she was born and holding her on the couch in my postpartum room for the next few days before we all got discharged together as a family, and I sooooo wanted those experiences and memories for both of the older girls this time!  But!  COVID calls the shots these days and life is life and rules are rules.  I digress. 

As it turned out, postpartum was actually a rare sort of "vacation" for Juliette and me, which I suppose is not something I should complain about!  Unlike our postpartum experience with Harper, being void of [most] visitors wasn't such a bad deal after all.  [And to keep away all the unnecessary and most annoying door-knockers -- AKA Bella Baby photographers, "fancy birth certificate" makers/volunteers, and finance personnel who come in and request that you pay your delivery bill in full and/or get started on a payment plan before it's even been a full 24 hours OR you've even seen the bill printed on paper zomg -- I requested that my nurse put a sign on the door that read, "DO NOT DISTURB:  Call RN before entering," and low and behold, it worked!  Perhaps the only people the sign accidentally warded off was a pharmacy tech who was trying to deliver some ointment for my poor, raw breastfeeding nipples annnnd the chaplain who typically brings communion to Catholic patients, whoops.]  But long story short, our [mostly] uninterrupted time on postpartum was chill and full of skin-to-skin snuggles!

 

We sent Juliette off to the nursery a time or two each night, and my nurse would bring her back every 3 hours to nurse again.  By the time I fed her and changed her and sent her back, there was only a little window of time left for shut-eye...but why sleep anyway when I could stare at this beautiful face?!  4am never ever looked so good. :)

Brian stayed the first night at the hospital with us and then left around lunchtime the second day to shower at home and pick up Harper from school and Scarlett from Grandma Ann's.  I know it was good for him to be home with them that night and bring a little normalcy [and sleep!] back into their routines.  Between staying with grandmas for the prior two nights and being excited/nervous/anxious about the news of the new baby that mom and dad were suddenly M.I.A. with, I'm sure they were so happy to have him home!  ...And Juliette and me?! Well, we didn't mind the peace and quiet, either! ...In fact, WE LOVED IT! :) 

Somewhere in the mix of our stay, we got to spend a little time with Dr. Phillips, Grammy Resa, and Nurse Anna! Three of my favorite humans right there!  Thank you ladies for always loving us so well! <3

 By the time two nights had passed and the sun rose again, Juliette was over here like #MOOD...

...and I couldn't have agreed more!  Time to pack up and bust out?!  I'd say so!  Brian returned to the hospital late morning on Thursday after dropping Harper and Scarlett off at school...

...just in time to snap a few photos of Juliette, order a lunch tray, deliver a stack of thank you cards/gift cards to all our nurses, see the lactation consultant [FINALLY!], pack our bags, and get. the. boot!

Hasta la vista, babyyyyyy...we're outta here and on our way to pick up two very excited big sisters from school!!! :D

- Juliette's Birth Story {Part II} -

In good/traditional "birth story cliff-hanger" fashion, I left off with PART I at: 

1:14pm -- Dr. Phillips was gowning and gloving, my nurse friends had the baby warmer turned on and room all ready, and we juuuuuust had to wait for a contraction to come...

1:15pm -- ...and as soon as everyone was prepped and standing in place, that big 'ole contraction came!  I couldn't even tell if I was pushing or not [thank you heavy epidural!] -- but apparently I was, because one minute/a couple pushes later...

...Dr. Phillips told me to reach down and grab under the baby's armpits to pull him/her out [WHAT?!], and........

1:16pm -- ...IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!  It's a stunning Juliette Thérèse!  :D

Hello, beautiful.  Another little lady to love; someone pinch me!!! 

 

 

 

 Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes...we are OBSESSED with you from head to toe!

After vital signs and footprints, Emily turned the scale on and weighed our pal in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces.  ...Are you kidding me?!  This little peanut is smaller than her big sisters by a LONG shot [Harper 8lb 4oz, Scarlett 8lb 13oz!].  Sooooo tiny, but so perfect, too [confirmed by Dr. Phillips, because I legit thought she had a growth restriction or some time of syndrome or something -- how could something so teeny come out of my uterus?!  But nope!  Turns out she's perfect, just petite!]!

After inspecting her from head to toe and then from toe to head again, we concluded that she is another [very much smaller] clone of newborn Harper!  Are genetics weird, or are they weird?! I cannot get over the way these newborn girls of ours all resemble each other so much.

And GOSH...seeing this photo right here makes my heart flutter all over again!  HOW LUCKY were we to have this birth team full of people that I've worked with for the last entire decade?!  I love you all soooo much; we've been through so many long shifts and life experiences together and bonded in ways most people could never imagine... It meant/still means the world to me that you were at my bedside for one of the best days of my life.  THANK YOU for everything!  It was the most perfect birthday party and birth story because of you all.

...And in her usual angelic fashion, Jamie stayed around even longer after the rest of the birth team dispersed to take special photos of Brian and I soaking in all those sweet first moments.  I will treasure these precious pics forever.  Thank you so much, Jame!!!

One proud Girl Dad! :)

During the 2-hour recovery period, we soaked up allllll the snuggles and even had a successful skin-to-skin + breastfeeding session before nursery came in to do Juliette's head-to-toe assessment.  She measured 19.25 inches and checked out perfect from nursery's standpoint.  All in all, recovery was a breeze [not in much pain at all! not bleeding too much! blood pressures were normal!] and we also had some other special visitors including Mrs. Ty!  [NOT PICTURED but definitely worth remembering:  Lori/Bridget pushing/riding the Sara Stedy to the bathroom.  Was this the moment Brian realized how crazy we L&D folk actually are?! I think so.]

And lastly but not least[ly]... Lori, where do I even begin with you?!  You were one one of the very first nurses to take me under your wing when I started as a new grad and someone who quickly became such a great friend while always remaining a mentor... You are such a wonderful nurse, and I am SO HAPPY you agreed to take care of my crazy @$$ during Harper's delivery and now Juliette's [especially since I finally got to redeem myself after Harper's horrible labor]!  Thank you for making this the very best day ever!  You are the world's greatest. [...And I owe you a burrito, so let's do Mexican + marg night soon!]  <3

Ahhhhh, we're over a month in to being at home with Juliette, and looking back through all these photos to make this post just made my heart so happy all over again!  My only regret of the entire day was that it all happened so fast and was over in the blink of an eye... Couldn't we have drug things out a littttttle longer to have twice the fun?!  ONE CAN ONLY WISH.  ;) :)

...But turns out the fun is just beginning, because on to postpartum we went with a brand new baby in stow!

Next post coming soon! 

__________

Postpartum Paradise posting/babbling continues!